Looking for information from others who have suffered TBI

[rsimpson]

Hello all...

I'm obviously new, so here is a quick rundown of my history-

-Car wreck in 2005, I took a series of very heavy impacts to the left side and back of my head while being ejected from the car via an open window, then slamming headfirst into the pavement. I have no memory of any of this, or anything from a bout a month prior.
-The most significant symptom following the crash was/is vertigo that ranges from mild 'seasick' feelings to vertigo so bad I can't walk normally or keep my balance in standing positions. Fatigue makes it far worse
-my short term memory is comparable to swiss cheese, better on some days than others, fatigue makes it far worse
-I began having very strong, surreal episodes of inability to think coherently, sometimes with a powerful sensation of "the world is about to be squashed down on my head" fear, a pinkish hue to ambient light, I get completely spaced out to whatever is going on, occasionally a smell of sausage cooking, stomach upset. I also have tremendously painful headaches that alternate from a sharp focus to my whole head radiating in pain. A neuropsychologist diagnosed the episodes as complex partial seizures. My neurologist (speciality in epilepsy treatment) diagnosed them as "transformed migraines."
-Sometimes, especially in conjunction with these episodes, I get extremely hot, to the point where I have run my head under faucets. My wife says that I radiate heat for several inches from my body while this is going on. I have a hard time adjusting between temperature differences, especially in the summer months.
-An MRI turned up lesions on my left prefronal cortex, classified as moderate brain injury.
-Took Depakote for 6 months, it made my body feel awful, so I stopped it. It didn't seem to help out too much anyway.

Recently I have been experiencing a surge of the episodes/migraines/seizures. Whil driving the other day, a very, very strong one came on (after a day of extreme headache) and I experienced a sensation that I hadn't yet had- my right arm, from the elbo down, was numb and tingly. I felt like I was on the verge of fading in and out of consciousness. I honestly thoguht that I was experiencing an aura for a more severe seizure. I was able to get to work safely, and cool down, but I had to go back home- my mind was shot by that point.

Has anybody else developed similar problems following a TBI, and if so, how have they developed for you? I am concerned about the escalating nature of all this, and I am interested in getting feedback from other sufferers- sometimes the doctors don't seem to really get what I am telling them about these things. And I don't want a more severe problem to take me by suprise. Thanks,

Randy

[Bernard]

Hi Randy, welcome to the forum.

Did the docs mention whether or not you are a candidate for brain surgery? Many people that had brain scars removed have found permanent relief from seizures.

If not, you might try some other drugs to help control the seizure activity. My wife loathed Depakote too - it turned her into a zombie. But she is doing fairly well with Dilantin.

One thing about letting seizures go uncontrolled - they can cause further brain damage and get worse over time.

FWIW, Stacy (my wife) went through periods of time where her memory is much like you described, but when she got the seizures under control, her memory and cognitive functions returned to normal. Most likely, all your memories are still there.